Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-18

hara ~ " seinng the little property
I've, 1--we, , can amply provide all i car
a., mos. OF the many who, prior to hei
departure, went 10 inspect the nretty
.nngs provided for the outfit tbouob,
.nat Miss Julia was rather mora ser;ou,
n man was demanded by the occasion
Inc good-natured fancied she dreaded
o Sne Journey that she felt going so fan
1 aNaS rom all her friends the less
~ S'puiy hoped she was sufficiently thank.
,ul Tor what Providence had done 70,
ner--" Very few girls who had refused
ono man after another as she had done
eot IN the end such a chance as had been
given TO her" 80 ''"N '''N
Well at length the day of departure
came but not before little disappoint.
lisnt had arisen in the failure of the
ia'y under whose wing Miss Julia',
Journey was to have been made. Az tbe
eleventh hour an extension of leave had
neen granted to her husband: therefore
their departure would be DELAYED for
'hree months longer. Under these cir.
cums'ances Miss Julia had TO 90 alone.
Her courage had sunk very low by the
ume she found herself on board the YES
sell Her family and friends she had
parted with; the brother.in-law. who
mad come down TO see her start. had re-
turned In the tender ashore, and she was
lett alone, strsining her streaming eyes
toward the friendly land she seemed Ia
be leaving forever. Memories thick and
last crowded on her--a terrible sense OF
being utterly alone took possession of
her-and. unable 70 check the sobs that
would come, Miss Robinson hurried
down TO her cabin below, and for some
days nothing more was seen Of her.
They had left Southampton on a Tues
day by the following Sunday the ma
lority of the passengers made an effort
to take their places at dinuer, Miss Julia
among them. Her neighbor, well-sea-
soned old Indian who had made the voy-
age many times before, vouchsafed her
but little attention until some hitch in
the serving afforded him rather more
leisure then, with the cross question.
ing air OF county-court Judge, he be-
gan:
" Your husband with youP No? Not
made the journey before? All! Not a
good table. Bad cook. Wretched at
tendance. Captain ought to look after
it better. Wife's just dead. Cut up
about ii, they say. Very sorry. Can't
be helped. Happen TO us all some
day All this was at the entrance
Of dish the good smell of which it'll
lated his nose, and put stop to further
conversation. Miss Julia, whose appe-
title was still poor took the opportunity
to look at the Captain--a pleasant-faced,
genial-looking man, with no particular
evidence of grief in his face and man.
ner. As she passed out he spoke a few
words TO her, and afterward during the
ensuing week when they met the same
courteous little speech was repeated.
AS sometimes happens on a voyage,
none of the passengers were disposed to
be very friendly. After the usual ex-
change of civilities each he or she went
his or her way, leaving Miss Robinson
to follow her own devices.
One evening she was sitting on deck,
beguiled by the lovely moon into re-
naming later than usual, when the Cap
tain passed her, passed again, and this
time stopped.
GA glorious night, he said.
Beautiful" she managed to answer.
The voice made him steal look at
the face.
"I'm afraid, he added more gently,
% you feel the time rather long. Not a
very interesting set of passengers on
board, are there ? 1t happens so some
times. You don't care, perhaps, for the
5ea?"
"Yos, worry much 90. On, L think
I'm getting on very WELL, and she
smothered sigh. "When one is by
ones self it is only natural to feel little
lonely" and a something she could not
account for made the tears, which lay
very close to her eyes, fall in a quick
lownpour. Glow excessively silly /"
she said vexedly.
Nothing of the kind" and the Cap
ain took a seat beside her. at will do
you no good and you needn't mind me.
The poor little woman I've lost used to
iay that sometimes nothing relieved
Ter like a good cry"
Miss Julia, ever ready with sympathy,
thrust away her own troubles immedi-
,tely.
"You have just lost your wife, they
ell me 2" she said gently.
"Well, not just; she died eight
months ago. but this is the first voyage
we made since"
"Was she long i'll ?"
eyes; all our married life she was
more or less laid 10y. She'd been mar
led before she was married to me, and
Ter husbands death was great shock
o her. She never got over it, and then
bout eighteen months ago the little girl
he'd been LETT with suddenly fell i'll and
AIDED away, and that finished the poor
mother. She only lived little time
.fter"
"That was sad. Sad for both Of
'ou."
Eyes" he was leaning with his hNad
,ent. looking down into the sea, speak
ng TO himself rather than to her, 81
an enter into the feeling of being lone
v. While she was there I'd somebody
o think of-to do things for. Now,
whatever happens, it'sall the same, and
Ie sighed despondingly.
Miss Julia had the tact of true wo-
nan. Without preaching she found a
ew words of comfort to administer. and
bis opened up further condolences be-
ween them so that when Captain Stew
1T babe her goodnight on her going be-
DIV he remained, saying to himself:
81 quite misiudged her The man |
he's going out to marry is a deuced /
ncky fellow. She's nice woman, that. !
)ne of the right sort. My little Bessie |
iould have got on with her
Dating from thst evening quite
spraug up between Captain
tewart and Miss Julia they chatted to-
ether almost every night sitting on .
eek.
1.-The Captain seems very devoted,
assengers would say, glancing at the
NO.
"Oh, but she's going out to be mar
led"
is she? Isn't it rather late in the
ay ?"
at depends on who it's to- What do
on guess her age to be 2"
" Something in the thirties. "
"She's pretty, don't you think ?"
"Yes-bas been very"
81 wonder how long it is since he saw